The Great Franchisee: Abhishek Srivastava, Sylvan Learning, San Jose, CA

Abhishek Srivastava grew up in India and moved to the U.S. when he was 21 years old. Growing up, Srivastava enjoyed what he calls a normal, happy life and got his education through public schools. But Abhishek’s father came from more humble beginnings, traveling 10 miles every day just to get to school. 

It was his father’s determination that inspired Abhishek to invest in the education of the children in his community, and today he’s working hard to ensure students are receiving the best education possible by bringing Sylvan Learning*, the 750-plus-unit supplemental education franchise, to the greater San Jose, CA area.

1851 Franchise: Tell us your story – what did you do before franchising?

Abhishek Srivastava: Before franchising with Sylvan Learning, I worked in the tech industry for over 20 years. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. I worked in a variety of roles over my career, including product management, marketing, operations and engineering. That broad-based experience prepared me well for running my own business.

I grew up in a small town in India, and moved to the U.S. when I was 21. In India, I had a standard education. I went to a government school where the teachers were good. My dad was a doctor, but he grew up in a village in a rural area where you walk/bicycle 10 miles every day to get to school. As a doctor, he chose to work in government hospitals in small towns on a modest salary. His story of how he came from humble beginnings, got himself through medical school, and he dedicated his life to serving the community in one of the poorest parts of India, has always been an inspiration to me. It also taught me how education can make such a big difference in one’s life.

1851: How did you initially find out about franchising? 

Abhishek: Over the last year I have been wanting to start my own business, but I didn’t want to start from scratch. I was familiar with the concept of franchising from before but started doing intensive research on the subject last year. I started with online research and then moved to talk to franchisors as well as franchisees. I talked to a lot of franchisees in the Bay Area, and also around the country to learn about their business, what challenges they face, how they got started and how they were handling COVID. 

1851: Why did you choose franchising over starting your own business?

Abhishek: I wanted to own my own business, but the current pandemic made me realize that I needed something that could give me a running start. The pandemic made starting something from scratch harder, and the value of franchising, with its existing brand, customer base, and business structure became clearer. After my extensive research and conversations, I became convinced that going with a franchise would greatly improve my chances of success.

1851: What types of brands did you look at?

Abhishek: I wanted to do something that was not only a good business but also made a positive impact in the world. I have always been passionate about education - I firmly believe that education can change the course of a child's life. Education highly correlates with better lifetime earnings, health outcomes, and overall life satisfaction. I wanted to marry my twin interests of business and education and ended up exploring a number of franchise brands in the education space.

1851: Why did you choose Sylvan Learning? What excited you most about the potential?

Abhishek: I knew I would be running a business that helped people, so it was important for me to find a franchise that not only made financial sense but also excelled in education. I chose Sylvan because the quality of education it delivers with its program is superior to other brands. Our program provides a highly personalized learning model, because each child is different, and one-size doesn’t fit all when it comes to education. The brand invests in the quality of its teachers, and the student-to-teacher ratio is smaller than other brands. Sylvan has been in education for 42 years and brings its vast experience to bear in its programs.

1851: What are your dreams with the business? What does the future look like?

Abhishek: My initial focus is going to be on bringing back students who were with us before COVID but stopped coming when things shut down last spring. As things open up further in California, I plan on expanding in-person learning, while also continuing with remote online education. Over the long run, I would like to expand operations and open new centers in the area.

1851: What value do you see your business providing to San Jose?

Abhishek: Schools have been closed for one full year now, and although the schools and teachers have done a commendable job moving to virtual learning, the honest truth is that virtual learning is not the same as in-person. For many students, virtual learning hasn’t worked very well, and as a result, they have fallen behind, sometimes very dramatically. My goal is to help parents and students in San Jose catch up from all the learning loss that has occurred over the last year. 

Silicon Valley is one of the most advanced places for technology in the world. Some of the brightest minds are here, and I want to prepare the kids here in my area to take on the challenge of tomorrow. And to do that, they need a foundation of high-quality education. 

1851: What advice would you have for others looking at buying a franchise?

Abhishek: Take your time and do the research. The best research is to talk to existing franchise owners - they are usually very good about sharing their experiences. I’m thankful for the people who took the time to offer me advice and give me insight into their business. 

1851: What do you do in your personal time?

Abhishek: I have a son in second grade, and I have gotten to spend a lot of time with him lately. I also enjoy watching movies with my wife and keeping up with current events. 

ABOUT SYLVAN LEARNING, LLC 

With more than 40 years of experience and more than 750 points of presence throughout North America, Sylvan Learning is the leading provider of personal learning for students in grades K-12. Sylvan is transforming how students learn, inspiring them to succeed in school and in life. Sylvan’s proven tutoring approach blends amazing teachers with SylvanSync™ technology on the iPad® for an engaging learning experience. Sylvan also leads the way with Sylvan EDGE—STEM and accelerated courses and Sylvan Prep —college and test prep courses. Sylvan supports families through every stage of the academic journey. For more information, visit www.SylvanLearning.com or SylvanLearning.com/blog.